Product Market Research Articles

Bio-Polyethylene and Polyethylene Biocomposites: An Alternative toward a Sustainable Future.

Polyethylene (PE), a highly prevalent non-biodegradable polymer in the field of plastics, presents a waste management issue. To alleviate this issue, bio-based PE (bio-PE), derived from renewable resources like corn and sugarcane, offers an environmentally friendly alternative. This review discusses various production methods of bio-PE, including fermentation, gasification, and catalytic conversion of biomass. Interestingly, the bio-PE production volumes and market are expanding due to the growing environmental concerns and regulatory pressures. Additionally, the production of PE and bio-PE biocomposites using agricultural waste as filler materials, highlights the growing demand for sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics. According to previous studies, addition of ≈50% defibrillated corn and abaca fibers into bio-PE matrix and a compatibilizer, results in the highest Young's modulus of 4.61 and 5.81GPa, respectively. These biocomposites have potential applications in automotive, building construction, and furniture industries. Moreover, the advancement made in abiotic and biotic degradation of PE and PE biocomposites is elucidated to address their environmental impacts. Finally, the paper concludes with insights into the opportunities, challenges, and future perspectives in the sustainable production and utilization of PE and bio-PE biocomposites. In summary, production of PE and bio-PE biocomposites can contribute to a cleaner and sustainable future.

Emission regulation: Prices, quantities and hybrids with endogenous technology choice

This paper examines the investment incentives of market-based regulation, focusing on the technology characteristics that different regulatory schemes tend to incentivize. The firms’ technology choice is socially optimal if and only if the aggregate emission allowance supply is completely inelastic. Furthermore, in the presence of uncertainty, elastic emission allowance supply, and strictly convex environmental damage, it is optimal to tax investments in technologies that induce a large variance in emissions. Lastly, price elastic supply of emission allowances may either increase or decrease the volatility in the product market, depending on the risk environment the firms face. The results indicate that introduction of permit price-stabilizing measures in an emission trading system will come at the cost of suboptimal technology investments, and may also lead to increased fluctuations in product prices.

Utilizing Insect Frass (Faecal Matter): A Sustainable Approach to Organic Fertilization in Agriculture

Insect frass, commonly known as insect fecal matter, is emerging as a sustainable solution for organic fertilization in agriculture. This paper explores the potential benefits and applications of utilizing insect frass as an organic fertilizer, highlighting its role in promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Through a comprehensive review of literature, this study examines the nutrient composition of insect frass and its impact on soil fertility and plant growth. Furthermore, the paper discusses the ecological advantages of incorporating insect frass into agricultural systems, including its ability to reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers and minimize environmental pollution. Additionally, the study delves into various methods of utilizing insect frass in different agricultural settings, ranging from soil incorporation to foliar applications. Moreover, the paper addresses the economic feasibility of insect frass as a viable alternative to conventional fertilizers, considering factors such as production costs and market demand. By synthesizing existing research and providing insights into practical applications, this paper underscores the potential of insect frass as a sustainable approach to organic fertilization in agriculture. Ultimately, this study aims to promote further exploration and adoption of insect frass as a valuable resource for enhancing soil health, increasing crop yields, and fostering ecological sustainability in agricultural practices. As agricultural sustainability becomes increasingly imperative, innovative solutions are sought to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers and mitigate environmental impacts. In this pursuit, the utilization of insect frass as an organic fertilizer presents a promising avenue for sustainable agriculture. With the rapid expansion of the human population, the mass breeding of insects for feed and food has emerged as a highly efficient means of protein production. A notable byproduct of this process is insect feces, or frass, which exhibits remarkable nutrient content and abundance, surpassing animal biomass production by up to 40 times. Harnessing insect frass as an organic fertilizer offers numerous advantages, including enhanced soil fertility, improved crop yield, and reduced dependency on agrochemicals.

Variation of New Energy Vehicle Product Scores Based on Fuzzy Rough Set Theory and Cellular Automaton

This study investigates the fluctuation in product scores of new energy vehicles (NEVs) using a combination of fuzzy rough set theory and cellular automaton. By integrating these two methodologies, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how NEV product scores evolve over time. Firstly, the fuzzy rough set theory is employed to handle the uncertainty and imprecision inherent in NEV product evaluation, optimizing the selection of influential factors. Subsequently, a cellular automaton model is utilized to simulate the dynamic changes in NEV product scores, incorporating factors identified through fuzzy rough set theory. Through this combined approach, we can continuously monitor and analyze the variations in NEV product scores, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions for improving product competitiveness and market performance. This study contributes to the advancement of methodologies for evaluating NEV products and offers insights into the dynamic nature of their competitive landscape.

Assessing Consumer Behavior in Sustainable Product Markets: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach with Partial Least Squares Analysis

The present research investigates the determinants that impact the decision-making process about sustainable purchasing. The study’s conceptual framework encompasses customer attitudes, values, beliefs, environmental awareness, perceived environmental impact, price and value, and product attributes. The study aims to comprehend the inclination toward environmentally friendly purchases and the elements that promote their behavior. The study employs quantitative techniques using SEM-PLS, a robust approach for formulating hypotheses and performing mediation and moderation analysis, to comprehend the dynamics of green purchase behavior. The web survey conducted from 30 October 2023 to 16 December 2023 forms the basis of the data analysis. Throughout this period, 744 responses were collected in total. The study’s findings establish correlations between characteristics and the propensity of individuals to buy environmentally friendly products. Personal attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control are factors that are associated with variables that impact the relationship between customer attitudes and the intention to buy environmentally friendly products. The study significantly contributes to domain marketing by establishing a new concept called “sustainable product evaluation”. This concept includes factors such as perceived environmental values and beliefs, perceived environmental impact, and product features. Incorporating a new variable improves the comprehension of the factors that influence environmentally conscious decision-making among Saudi Arabian consumers. While the majority of our sample was university students, we want to understand sustainable consumption behavior. The results may not reflect the general population. Due to this constraint, we advise diligence when interpreting the results in light of public attitudes and experiences.

The role of asymmetric innovation’s sizes in technology licensing under partial vertical integration

In this paper, we compare the scenarios of exclusive licenses and cross-licenses under the existence of partial vertical integration. To do this, a successive duopoly model is proposed, with two owners and two firms competing in a differentiated product market. Each technology owner has a share in one of the competing firms, so that competition is also extended to the upstream R&D sector. We propose a novel analysis where differences in the size of their innovation process are allowed, extending the results in Sánchez et al. (2021). We find that the cross-licensing scenario is preferred when the size of the innovation is small; this occurs regardless of the participation in the competing companies and how many innovate. If the innovation is very large, the owners may be better off with exclusive licenses.

Asymmetric Performance Evaluation Under Quantity and Price Competition with Managerial Delegation

Abstract In this paper, we consider asymmetric performance evaluation contracts under different product market configurations with managerial delegation and specify the optimal decision-making by the social and relative performance evaluation firms. We present a reversal result on the owner’s choice of the social performance and relative performance evaluation contract as the product market competition type changes from quantity to price competition. Surprisingly, results indicate that the consumer surplus increases as the degree of product substitution increases under quantity competition in a specific economic environment. A firm that considers social performance evaluation produces less, charges a higher price, and earns a lower profit than a firm that uses relative performance evaluation. We also endogenize the choice of performance evaluation systems. While relative performance emerges as the endogenous choice under both modes of product market competition, it leads to lower consumer surplus and social welfare in comparison to an asymmetric performance evaluation system.

Classification of old industrial regions in order to implement differentiated regional policy

Subject. The article addresses problems of production for the domestic market, compliance of the level of industry development with the requirements of the new technological paradigm. Objectives. The article aims at systematization of economic and geographical characteristics of old industrial regions of Russia. Methods. I employ methods of statistical analysis. Results. Two factors enable to fully reveal the specifics of the development of old industrial regions, i.e. historical and sectoral. I developed an algorithm to classify old industrial regions. It helps specify their composition and identify their main subtypes based on the analysis of the ‘sectoral kernel’. Conclusions. The research results can be used in the development of policies focused on creating conditions for the transformation of old industrial regions into ‘growth centers’ of the Russian economy.

Assessing the drivers and capabilities for faster product launch: a scale for time‐to‐market reduction in start‐ups

The acceleration of new product development (NPD) and market introduction is essential for companies to maintain competitiveness, enhance customer base, and achieve financial success. While the existing literature addresses time‐to‐market (TTM) reduction factors in a scattered manner, focusing on aspects like supplier and customer involvement, leadership, and learning, there is a noticeable gap in construct development and measurement validation for TTM reduction, particularly in start‐up contexts. Addressing this gap, our research introduces and validates a comprehensive, hierarchical scale designed to measure both the drivers and capabilities associated with TTM reduction in start‐ups. This innovative scale broadens the scope of traditional constructs, incorporating emerging dimensions such as transformational leadership, experiential learning, agile methodologies, and dynamic marketing strategies. We used our dataset and structural equation modeling (SEM) to validate the proposed scale, comparing the effect of drivers and capabilities on TTM reduction and the role of companies' age on this relationship. This approach confirms the scale's reliability and highlights its versatility. This research holds significant implications for enhancing NPD endeavors in start‐up environments. Introducing a methodologically robust scale equips managers with a powerful tool for setting realistic goals, monitoring progress, and assessing capabilities and contextual factors to refine NPD processes. Furthermore, the scale serves as a benchmarking instrument for start‐ups, aiding them in attracting investments and achieving a competitive advantage. Our study, therefore, stands as an essential contribution to the strategic management of NPD in the dynamic and evolving landscape of start‐ups.

Performance of vision transformer and swin transformer models for lemon quality classification in fruit juice factories

Assessing the quality of agricultural products holds vital significance in enhancing production efficiency and market viability. The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has notably surged for this purpose, employing deep learning and machine learning techniques to process and classify agricultural product images, adhering to defined standards. This study focuses on the lemon dataset, encompassing ‘good’ and ‘bad’ quality classes, initiate by augmenting data through rescaling, random zoom, flip, and rotation methods. Subsequently, employing eight diverse deep learning approaches and two transformer methods for classification, the study culminated in the ViT method achieving an unprecedented 99.84% accuracy, 99.95% recall, and 99.66% precision, marking the highest accuracy documented. These findings strongly advocate for the efficacy of the ViT method in successfully classifying lemon quality, spotlighting its potential impact on agricultural quality assessment.

FinTech solutions for sustainable agricultural value chains: A perspective from smallholder farmers

AbstractSmallholder farmers in developing nations face multifaceted challenges as they strive to secure fair prices for their agricultural products. With a primary focus on bolstering sustainable agricultural value chains (SAVC), this conceptual paper investigates the transformative potential of Financial Technology (FinTech) solutions. The study synthesizes insights from prior research on SAVC, hurdles faced by smallholder farmers, conventional strategies, and the untapped prospects offered by FinTech solutions in the agricultural sector. Utilizing the PRISMA strategy for comprehensive documentation retrieval, the study underscores the significance of creating a robust SAVC to empower smallholder farmers within the broader value chain landscape. It is found that Agri‐FinTech solutions represent a pivotal avenue for advancing living standards and cultivating agricultural sustainability in developing nations. The integration of FinTech solutions for agri‐credit mechanisms and product market facilitation catalyzes enabling pre‐production financing and ensures fair prices for smallholder farmers in the post‐production phase while neutralizing the value chain's exploitation potential. The study advocates for the expeditious adoption of information technology in developing countries, spotlighting the transformative role of Mobile Financial Services (MFS), which fortifies the agriculture sector, ensuring its resilience and responsiveness to the evolving demands of a globalized market. Drawing upon an evaluation of existing literature on FinTech‐enhanced agricultural initiatives in developing nations, the study outlines directions for future research and creates a path for a more nuanced understanding of the strategic enhancements necessary to fortify the SAVC, fostering a sustainable and equitable ecosystem for smallholder farmers.

Does media coverage of firms' environment, social, and governance (ESG) incidents affect analyst coverage and forecasts? A risk perspective

We examine whether and how media coverage of firms' environment, social, and governance (ESG) incidents is associated with analyst coverage and forecasts. We propound that the risks of firms could either increase or decrease as a result of media-covered ESG incidents, depending on the firms' actions on the media coverage, and thus its impact on analyst coverage and forecasts would vary. Based on a sample of U.S. listed companies, we find evidence that the level of analyst coverage is negatively associated with a firm's ESG incidents covered by the media. This association is more pronounced for firms with more intense industrial product market competition, more severe ESG scandals, or coverage by less sophisticated analysts. We also find that the firms' ESG incidents covered by the media would lead to higher levels of forecast error and dispersion. Our mediation analysis further reveals that business risk and information risk tend to be higher for firms covered by the media for having been involved in ESG incidents, thereby explaining why the analysts' coverage and forecasts for these firms are adversely affected. Overall, our results highlight the importance of curbing corporate social irresponsibility and improving analyst performance in forecasting.

Foreign ownership and product market competition's influence on firm performance: Mediating role of the corporate governance index

AbstractThis study examines the influence of foreign ownership and product market competition on firm performance in Vietnam's listed companies through the mediating role of the corporate governance index. Moreover, the study explores the moderating role of business strategy in the relationships between foreign ownership, product market competition, and firm performance. We use maximum likelihood structural equation modeling in Stata 14 software to analyze the data collected from 180 Vietnamese listed companies from 2015 to 2019. The results indicate that foreign ownership and product market competition positively influence firm performance by mediating the corporate governance index. Business strategy negatively moderates the relationship between product market competition and firm performance. This study has implications for managers focusing on foreign ownership and product market competition to improve corporate governance systems, enhancing firm performance. Additionally, managers may build business strategies when product market competition increases to avoid negative effects on firm performance.

Examining the Predictive Utility of Behavioral Economic Demand Indices and Subjective Effects on the Actualized Reinforcing Value of Menthol Cigarettes and Potential Alternatives.

Considering recent and proposed bans on menthol cigarettes, methods are needed to understand the substitutability of potential menthol cigarette alternatives (MCAs) for menthol cigarettes. This study examined the prospective relationship between behavioral economic demand indices and subjective effects of usual brand menthol cigarettes (UBMC) and preferred MCAs with subsequent performance on a laboratory-based concurrent-choice task comparing UBMC and MCAs. Eighty participants who typically smoked menthol cigarettes completed this clinical laboratory study. After sampling each product, participants completed the cigarette purchase task (CPT) and modified cigarette evaluation questionnaire (mCEQ). Following 1 week of substituting their preferred MCA for their UBMC, participants completed a 90-minute concurrent-choice self-administration (SA) task comparing their UBMC and preferred MCA. Linear regression models explored associations between CPT demand indices and mCEQ subjective effects in the laboratory with subsequent response effort for UBMCs on the concurrent-choice task. Three demand indices for UBMC were positively associated with UBMC response effort: essential value (EV; p = .02), Omax (p = .02), and breakpoint (p = .04). Four CPT demand indices for the preferred MCA significantly corresponded with UBMC response effort: EV (p = .03), price associated with maximal expenditure (Pmax) (p = .04), maximal expenditure (Omax) (p = .03), and breakpoint (p = .03). Subjective effects captured by the mCEQ were not associated with response effort. Demand indices reflecting Persistence (ie, sensitivity to escalating price) predicted effort to obtain UBMC puffs on the concurrent-choice task. Among this sample, the CPT captured information on the relative reinforcing value (ie, addiction potential) of combustible tobacco products similar to the longer SA task. In an ever-changing product market, assessing the reinforcing efficacy of menthol cigarettes and putative substitutes quickly and with validity is an important methodological tool for understanding abuse liability. Results suggest that behavioral economic demand indices of CPT efficiently capture information on the relative reinforcing value of UBMC and plausible alternative tobacco products, similar to a 90-minute in-laboratory SA task.

Extended service strategy choice for competing manufacturers in agency retail platform considering consumer preferences

PurposeWe investigate the extended service strategy choices of competing manufacturers and examine their impact on the retail platform.Design/methodology/approachWe construct a supply chain model with a retail platform as the leader and manufacturers as the followers. Manufacturers face differential consumer preferences on the same agency retail platform, and they can sell a bundled extended service product and sell a separate product without any extended service.FindingsThe sale of extended warranty services on the retail platform leads to lower pricing of the manufacturers' products and changes in the product market structure in response to differences in consumer preferences. The retailing platform tends to provide an extended warranty conditionally. The sale of extended warranty services on a retail platform would be detrimental to the interests of the manufacturer who sells products with extended warranty services and in favor of the manufacturer who sells products without them.Originality/valueThe equilibrium results of the retail platform’s non-sales and sales of extended warranty services for the no-extended warranty product under the same commission rate and differential commission rate models are discussed, and the product structure of the market is investigated, respectively.

Research on the Optimization of Pricing and the Replenishment Decision-Making Problem Based on LightGBM and Dynamic Programming

Vegetables have a short period of freshness, and therefore, the purchase of vegetables has to be carefully matched with sales, especially in the “small production and big market” setting prevalent in China. Therefore, it is worthwhile to develop a systematic and comprehensive mathematical model of replenishment plans and pricing strategies for each category of vegetables and individual products. In this paper, we analyze the following three questions: Question One: What is the distribution law and relationship between the sales volume of vegetable categories and single products? Question Two: What is the relationship between total sales volume and cost-plus pricing of vegetable categories? And is it possible to provide the daily total replenishment and pricing strategy of each vegetable category for the following week to maximize supermarket profit? Question Three: How can we incorporate the market demand for single vegetable products into a profit-maximizing program for supermarkets? Is it possible to further formulate the replenishment plan requirements for single products? To answer the first question, we created pivot tables to analyze occupancy. We found that mosaic leaves, peppers, and edible mushrooms accounted for a larger proportion of occupacy, while cauliflowers, aquatic rhizomes, and eggplants accounted for a smaller proportion. For the single items, lettuce, cabbage, green pepper, screw pepper, enoki mushroom, and shiitake mushroom accounted for a large proportion of their respective categories. We used the Pearson correlation coefficient and the Mfuzz package based on fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm to analyze the correlation between vegetable categories and single products. We found that there was a strong correlation between vegetable categories. Moreover, the sale of vegetable items belonging to the same category exhibited the same patterns of change over time. In order to address the second question, we established the LightGBM sales forecasting model. Combined with previous sales data, we forecasted and planned an efficient daily replenishment volume for each vegetable category in the coming week. In addition, we developed a pricing strategy for vegetable categories to maximize supermarket profits. For the third question, we built a dynamic programming model combining an optimal replenishment volume with a product pricing strategy for single items, which let the supermarket maximize its expected profits.

The role of options markets in corporate social responsibility

We explore the relationship between options trading and corporate social responsibility (CSR). We find that options trading can enhance CSR by (i) fostering shareholder activism, as indicated by increased long-term and socially responsible institutional ownership and CSR proposals and (ii) intensifying product market competition, which spurs green innovation and product-related CSR initiatives. The positive effects are more pronounced in well-governed firms but diminished in firms with managerial entrenchment. Moreover, CSR improvements driven by options trading positively influence firm value, with notable enhancements in environmental performance. Our results underscore that options markets play a crucial role in promoting responsible corporate practices.

Trade credit and firm value in business groups: evidence from Korea

ABSTRACT This study examines the relation between trade credit and firm value in the context of business groups (i.e. chaebols). We find that the use of accounts receivable negatively influences firm value, and this negative impact is more pronounced for group-affiliated firms than for stand-alone firms. We further find that the negative moderating role of business groups on trade credit-firm value nexus is stronger for firms with lower product market competition, lower large shareholder ownership, higher cash holdings, and higher financial distress. Our main findings are robust to an endogeneity concern, an alternative proxy for trade credit, and different estimation specifications. Our empirical evidence sheds light on how the use of trade credit can potentially be linked to firm value from the perspective of business groups. Our findings can help stakeholders, including investors and creditors, better understand the trade credit-firm value link in the context of business groups.

Tree Performance, Yield, and Fruit Quality of ‘Valencia’ Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) Selections on New Poncirus trifoliata Rootstocks

This study reports the performance of seven Valencia (Citrus sinensis) selections grafted to four Trifoliata (Poncirus trifoliata) rootstocks in the Riverina region of south-east Australia. Six of the Valencia selections (numbered as Valencia 1 to 6) were from orchards in the Riverina region, and the seventh was a standard commercial variety ‘Keenan’ (control). Three of the four Trifoliata rootstock selections (‘Zao Yang’, ‘Tanghe’, and ‘Donghai’) were imported from the People’s Republic of China, and the fourth was the ‘Tri22’ (control) selection used commercially in Australia. ‘Valencia 5’ produced the highest cumulative (162 kg/tree) yield over the five harvest seasons and increased levels of Total Soluble Solids (TSS, 1.7 °Brix) compared with the current industry standard, ‘Keenan’. Trees grafted to ‘Zao Yang’ produced higher yields than any of the other Trifoliata selections, again outperforming the current industry standard, ‘Tri22’. The new combination of ‘Valencia 5’ scion on ‘Zao Yang’ rootstock represents an opportunity to significantly improve orchard productivity, particularly for juice production. ‘Valencia 6’ on Zao Yang’ had the highest percentage (58%) of fruit >75 mm in diameter compared with other scion/rootstock combinations and creates an additional opportunity for fresh market production. Significant differences in tree size, growth rates, and productivity were identified. Results from this evaluation have resulted in the commercialisation of ‘Valencia 5’ and ‘Valencia 6’ scions and ‘Zao Yang’ rootstock as three new citrus varieties for sweet orange production in Australia.

The Market Trend Analysis of the MLCC Industry

With the advancement of science and technology, multilayer ceramic capacitors are playing an increasingly important role in electronic products. In this article, we will analyze the market size and competitive landscape of MLCC, as well as their expected development. This article will analyze the growth of the MLCC market by collecting historical and forecast data and identify the major manufacturers and suppliers by surveying the competitive landscape. Finally, the technological innovation advantages of the industry are studied and discussed, and the application scenarios are analyzed. In the fourth part, four MLCC manufacturers will be listed, namely Fenghua Advanced Technology, Sanhuan Group, Murata, and Yageo. Finally, it can be seen that the competition among manufacturers in the MLCC industry is still fierce, and it is developing rapidly in emerging fields. In addition, MLCC products tend to be miniaturized, lightweight, high capacitance, high frequency, and high temperature resistance. Through research, it can help investors better formulate market strategies, provide government regulators with suggestions for the development of the MLCC industry, and serve product development and market expansion, to promote technological innovation and healthy and sustainable development of the industry.